CHAPTER 22

Out-of-Body Reality

Many books about out-of-body experiences say that during an
OBE, our thoughts produce instant reality. Well, maybe not
instantly. Sometimes it seems as if our subconscious thoughts are
more powerful than our conscious thoughts. Our beliefs,
expectations and fears also play a large part in what we experience
while out of our bodies.

For instance, why do you even have an astral body? While you
are out of your body, why should you need a body at all? Why do
you need astral hands? If you try to pick something up, your hands
will pass right through the object. Why do you need astral eyes?
With mind-sensing, you can sense everything around you without even
using your eyes. Why do you need astral legs if you can just as
easily float or fly wherever you want? The answer is, you don't
need an astral body! We have astral bodies because we are so
accustomed to operating with a body. It's part of our self-image.
We believe in our bodies so strongly that we create astral bodies
for ourselves to use during an OBE. Perhaps we also do it as a
convenience to others. How would we recognize a friend if he or
she didn't have an astral body with their familiar face?

Let's take this one step further. During an OBE, are we naked
or do we wear clothes? The answer is, sometimes we are naked, but
most of the time we do wear astral clothes. The few people who
report being naked during an OBE usually "feel naked" without their
body.

Others report that they were wearing white robes, unlike any
clothes they own in physical life. These people usually believe
that they are dead or they are temporarily spirits, and what else
do spirits wear?

There are also many people who find themselves in astral
clothes identical to the clothes they were wearing at the time of
the OBE. Often these people don't realize at first that they are
out of their bodies. One moment they lie down for a nap, and the
next moment they find themselves standing up and feeling light on
their feet. And of course, they believe they are wearing the same
clothes.

More common, however, is the case where the subject doesn't
remember whether he or she was wearing clothes. They just don't
seem to notice. That is usually the case during my OBEs. I don't
even think about the clothes I am wearing, and since I'm not
thinking about it, no clothes are created. And I don't even notice
the clothes are missing.

The point is, while we are out of the body our beliefs do
influence our experience. Our thoughts also influence our
experience, but they are subject to our beliefs.

Not only does this law work for astral objects like clothes,
but our astral bodies as well. If we believe our astral bodies are
malleable, they will be. Some people have reported their astral
bodies were not in the shape of a human body, but in another shape.
Take the following OBE for example:

11/08/81 Sun - OBE #55

...I separated my head last, and then I felt just like a
balloon. I was bouncing up and down but stuck to my body in
a way I could not tell. I couldn't turn around. My
consciousness was again very clear and concise....If I had an
astral body, then it was curled up into a ball-shape. And I
was stuck to my body's right side; that is, by the right arm.

After experiencing a few OBEs and reading several books, I
came to believe the astral body was not solid. As a result, I
started having experiences like the following:

02/23/80 - OBE #9

...Another strange thing about this morning's projection is:
I folded my arms around my chest to rest them, but they went
right through my chest! They rested on the bed.

This example shows the malleability of the astral body: I
folded my arms through my chest instead of on top.

Some people can travel just by thinking of a person or place.
But it's not always that simple. It's not just the thought that
makes us travel, but our beliefs too. In Journeys Out of the Body,
Robert Monroe wasn't always able to travel to a desired person or
place. When trying to contact a friend, he often found himself in
unexpected, unfamiliar surroundings.

I've also run into these problems. I think the problems
stemmed mainly from my beliefs. I couldn't rationalize how people
could move from place to place during OBEs, and my doubts and
skepticism got in my way. I harbored a belief that it takes more
than thoughts to travel. Limiting beliefs such as these can cause
us a great deal of trouble. Here is an example:

12/22/85 Sun - OBE #120

...Annoyed, I closed my eyes again, sat up again, turned and
stood up again. This time I walked blindly through the door
into the living room. I walked across the living room, almost
to the door to the apartment. I thought, "I'm far enough away
from my body now; It should be safe to open my eyes." I
opened my eyes, and again I was transported back to the same
position just above the body.

I figured this was happening because of some belief I
harbored, so I decided to combat the belief. As I lay there,
I thought strongly, "I am the master of my reality, and I
control what happens here." With that thought, I felt a
strong sensation like a vibration that swept into me, giving
me a sense of power.

I thought, "Good. Now, I will raise myself up with the
power of my thoughts." I used my mind to pull up, and I
started forcefully rising up one half foot...one foot... one
and one-half feet. Then I questioned whether it ought to
work, since I hadn't had much luck in the past with this
method. That doubt caused me to stop rising, and I started
gently bobbing up and down, as if my conflicting beliefs were
fighting each other, one pulling me up, the other pushing me
down. Then I blacked out.

The following experience illustrates further how we can use
one set of beliefs to combat another set of beliefs:

04/13/86 Sun - OBE #125

This morning I was trying to sleep but kept thinking
about trying to leave my body. As I was heading toward sleep
I found myself in a very good condition for OBEs. I was
laying on my left side. Very easily I started myself swaying
back and forth in my body, as described before. I swayed back
and forth and slipped outside my body. I thought, "Well, that
was easy enough." I slipped a little bit backward and found
myself stuck to the body. I tried to pry myself away, but was
unsuccessful. I closed my eyes and said aloud, "I am in
complete control of this reality while I am out of my body.
If I am stuck, it's because I believe I am stuck. And I no
longer want to be stuck." I opened my eyes again and tried
once more to pry myself away, also without success.

I decided to try something different. My body was near
the edge of the bed. I reasoned that if I were close to the
edge of the bed and pushed myself off, I would fall off the
bed, thus freeing myself from the body. I was using my own
beliefs to free myself: I knew I had a belief that I would
fall off the bed. This belief was stronger than my belief
that I was stuck to my body. I rolled a little bit until I
was laying on my back (my body was still on its left side).
I wanted to fall gently, so I gently fell to the ground and I
felt a sharp--but not painful--jab in my back caused by
hitting something on the floor next to my bed.

The point is, if you are planning to attempt OBEs, it's very
helpful, before you set out on your adventure, to examine your
desires, beliefs, fears and expectations about the experience.

EXERCISE 22

Buzzing

This exercise is similar to the musical imagination exercise.
Relax completely, then try to get to that passive, quiesced frame
of mind.

As vividly as you can, imagine there is a course buzzing sound
in your head. Pretend the buzzing is just a little bit too quiet
to hear, but getting louder. Simultaneously listen intently for
the buzzing to become loud enough to hear.

As the buzzing becomes louder, imagine the sound is causing
your soul to vibrate. Increase the imaginary sound until you feel
like your soul is being rattled and shaken to the core. Hold the
imaginary buzzing and vibrating for several minutes.